The Digital Bits web site has an updated classic DVD column up. New box sets reviewed include James Cagney, Tyrone Power, and Errol Flynn. Of particular interest on this end is the August 7 release of the William Powell/Myrna Loy Collection (Manhattan Melodrama, Evelyn Prentice, Double Wedding, I Love You Again, and Love Crazy).

And if you've held out all these years from buying To Catch a Thief (like me), it sounds like it's finally safe to buy the latest DVD issue.

Monday, May 14, 2007

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has named Top Gun as the top aviation film of all time. From the news release: "Many aviation fans have this film as part of their video collection or regularly search for the movie's airings on television. Knowing the flying sequences are based on actual U.S. military training makes the film even more appealing to pilots." Ergh.

Here's the top 10, from which #1 was voted from:

Twelve O'Clock High

Memphis Belle (the 1990 version, not the original)

The Battle of Britain

The Spirit of St. Louis

The Great Waldo Pepper

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines

The Flight of the Phoenix

The High and the Mighty

The Blue Max

IMHO, this list has some good ones, but is severely lacking in other areas. Oh well, the power of the popular vote...

Ok, now that I have your attention - Jimmy plays the part of a Canadian pilot in Captains of the Clouds (1942), which was just released on DVD. Greenbriar Picture Shows has a good article on the film. Another Technicolor beauty.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Ah yes, Milwaukee - lakefront jewel of Wisconsin. I can understand why a prince from a far off country would lie and say he's just another guy from Milwaukee (nudge, nudge).

Two Guys From Milwaukee isn't an Oscar winner (or nominee) or some profound drama that has left impressions on millions - it's just a fun 40s movie.

Dennis Morgan (who I've discovered has quite the set of pipes) plays Prince Henry. He's touring the states and has an interested in "ordinary" people, especially since his home country may be no more after an upcoming election. Oh, he also wants to meet Lauren Bacall. Enter Jack Carson as Buzz Williams, NYC taxi cab driver. He's really from Milwaukee.

Prince Henry decides to go AWOL and take on the town for a few days, to see what America is really like. Stopping in a bar for a drink, he meets Carson's character and they begin to talk. "Where ya from?" Looking around, Prince Henry spots a beer sign extolling the pleasures of Milwaukee beer. "Milwaukee" he proudly pronounces! And the fun begins.

S.Z. Sakall also plays in this movie as Count Oswald, advisor to the Prince. I'm sure you've seen him before, you can't miss the face.

If you do catch this film on TCM, make sure you watch it all the way - there's a small surprise at the end with the names of Lauren & Humphrey.

Monday, May 07, 2007

I performed surgery on my beloved Microtek scanner yesterday to clean the underside of the glass. After seeing the garbage it was generating from black & white photos, it was time. You know the rest of the story.

I'm now looking for something USB 2.0 with slide scanning capability. If you have any recommendations, please leave me a comment!

Thursday, May 03, 2007

I picked up the May issue of Arizona Highways & ran across an article on John Wayne's ties to Arizona. If you're a JW fan, you might be interested in some of the tidbits of info they offer.

Catching up on my CSI watching, I spotted someone familiar in one of the recent episodes - James Whitmore. With a few more years added to the face from the Miracle Gro ads, I had to do a double take. Whitmore has to be one of the earliest actors I can remember growing up as a kid. Who can forget Them! His character in CSI was, uhm...well, a frequent customer of the local brothel. Great to see you still acting, Mr. Whitmore!

Sorry to say, TCM won't be having any mini birthday marathon this year.

21 Monday10 p.m. They Were Expendable (1945) A Navy commander fights to prove the battle-worthiness of the PT boat at the start of World War II. Cast: Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed. Dir: John Ford